1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to door lock devices, and more particularly, to door lock devices for a motor vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to clarify the task of the present invention, one conventional door lock device disclosed in Japanese Utility Model First Provisional Publication No. 58-44359 will be outlined with reference to FIG. 12 of the accompanying drawings.
In the drawing, denoted by numeral 1 is a door of a motor vehicle, and 2 is an outer panel of the door 1. The outer panel 2 is formed at a waste line part with a recess 3 for receiving therein an outside handle 4. The outside handle 4 has an arm portion 5 which is projected into the door 1 through an opening 3a formed in the bottom of the recess 3. The arm portion 5 is pivotally connected through a pivot pin 6 to the door 1, so that the outside handle 4 pivots about the pivot pin 6 relative to the door 1. A rod 7 extends downward from a leading end of the arm portion 5.
Designated by numeral 8 is a door lock proper which is disposed in the door 1 near the outside handle 4. An outside lever 9 extends from the door lock proper 8 toward the outer panel 2 and has a leading end connected to a lower end of the rod 7.
When the outside handle 4 is pivoted upward, the rod 7 is moved downward and thus the outside lever 9 is pivoted downward to a position causing the door lock proper 8 to assume an unlatch condition. Upon this, the door 1 becomes unlatched from the vehicle body.
However, due to the arrangement wherein the outside handle 4 and the door lock proper 8 are positioned near each other, the above-mentioned conventional door lock device has the following drawback.
When, due to a vehicle collision or the like, the outer panel 2 of the door 1 is deformed inwardly to a certain degree, it tends to occur that the inwardly curved lower portion 3b of the recess 3 contacts and slides on the leading end of the outside lever 9 moving the outside lever 9 downward. This phenomenon brings about an undesirable unlatch condition of the door lock proper under the vehicle collision.